GLEANINGS  FROM  GERMAN  JOURNALS.  327 
GLEANINGS   FROM    GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
By  J.  M.  Maisch. 
Preparation  of  Iodine. — Dr.  Luchs  publishes  in  Wittst.  V. 
Schrift  x.  536 — 539,  a  new  method  for  preparing  iodine,  which 
was  employed  by  him  in  1857,  and  which  he  thinks  will  be 
found  advantageous  on  a  large  scale.  The  saline  residue  for 
the  preparation  of  iodide  of  potassium  was  dissolved  in  water, 
and  treated  with  sulphuric  acid  and  powdered  bichromate  of 
potassa  ;  after  continued  stirring,  the  iodine  crystallizes  out,  and 
but  little  remains  in  the  mother  liquor  which  may  be  gained  by 
distillation.  The  iodine  is  strained  off,  washed  with  little  water, 
and  sublimed  in  a  retort  from  a  steambath.  The  reaction  is  as 
follows :  3KI+KO,  2Cr  03+8HO,  S03=4(KO,  S03,+HO, 
S03)+3I+Cr2  03+4HO.  From  the  dark  green  liquid,  sul- 
phate of  potassa  and  oxide  of  chromium  may  be  obtained, 
which  will  cover  a  portion  of  the  costs. 
Analysis  of  Anacahuite  Wood. — Dr.  L.  Miiller  analyzed  the 
bark  and  wood  separately.  He  obtained  much  oxalate  of  lime, 
sugar,  starch,  tannin,  producing  a  green  black  precipitate  with 
ferric  salts,  citric  and  humic  acids,  resin,  wax,  and  a  little 
bitter  extractive.  The  tannate  of  lead  has  the  composition 
3PbO,  C16  H12  O10,  and  appears  to  be  allied  in  composition  to 
catechu-tannin.  The  humic  compound  is  composed  of  C16  H10  014, 
the  resin  of  C48  H34  O20.  Kinic  acid  was  not  present.  The  bark 
dried  at  100°  C.  yielded  17.673  per  ct.,  and  the  wood  3.776  per  ct. 
ashes,  or  the  wood  together  with  the  bark  7.25  per  ct.;  medicinally 
the  large  proportion  of  oxalate  of  lime,  also  of  tannin,  requires 
some  attention. — (Wittstein's  V.  Schr.  x.  519 — 536.) 
Color  of  Wafers  Professor  Wittstein  found  in  red  wafers  42 
and  25.59  per  ct.  red  lead;  in  yellow  wafers,  14.03  chromate  of 
lead,  and  18.78  sulphate  of  baryta;  in  green  wafers  38.43 
ashes,  of  which  13.50  was  chromate  of  lead ;  the  Prussian  blue 
was  not  estimated.  Of  four  kinds  of  blue  wafers,  three  were 
colored  with  ultramarine,  and  one  with  Prussian  blue  ;  one  of 
the  former  contained  traces,  another  7.37  per  ct.  PbOin  the  form  of 
carbonate  of  lead.  White  wafers  and  the  following  four  kinds 
contained  only  traces  of  lead  j  violet,  rose  and  flesh-colored 
